Wnt5a and Wnt11 interact in a maternal Dkk1-regulated fashion to activate both canonical and non-canonical signaling in Xenopus axis formation.
Wnt signaling in development and adult tissue homeostasis requires tight regulation to prevent patterning abnormalities and tumor formation. Here, we show that the maternal Wnt antagonist Dkk1 downregulates both the canonical and non-canonical signaling that are required for the correct establishment of the axes of the Xenopus embryo. We find that the target Wnts of Dkk activity are maternal Wnt5a and Wnt11, and that both Wnts are essential for canonical and non-canonical signaling. We determine that Wnt5a and Wnt11 form a previously unrecognized complex. This work suggests a new aspect of Wnt signaling: two Wnts acting in a complex together to regulate embryonic patterning.
Cha
Sang-Wook
SW
Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
Tadjuidje
Emmanuel
E
Tao
Qinghua
Q
Wylie
Christopher
C
Heasman
Janet
J
D000818:Animals; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013997:Time Factors; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071818:Wnt-5a Protein; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C085389:WNT5A protein, human; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D000071818:Wnt-5a Protein; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C110182:dkk1 protein, Xenopus; C512785:wnt11b protein, Xenopus